Tag: book review

The Last Will and Testament of Captain Nemo: A Retelling of the Little Mermaid by Mary Schlegal

Available on amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Will-Testament-Captain-Nemo-ebook/dp/B06XQF1G5N

I picked up this book for free while it was on promotion. Here’s a little bit about the book before I get into my thoughts on it.

Blurb:

From the tragedy of The Little Mermaid, and the mystery of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, comes the truth that ties them both together: the story of the love that saved a life and started a war, of the quest that became an obsession . . . of the seaman who, for love of a mermaid, became a legend.

Genre: Fairy tales; retellings; fantasy

Review:

The subtitle of the story says that it is a retelling of “the Little Mermaid.” I disagree. I would call it an extension of the “Little Mermaid.” The Last Will and Testament of Captain Nemo is a short, yet exciting little story. It takes the form of Captain Nemo’s last letter before his death where he elaborates on how and why he created his Nautilus. It takes the classic tale by Hans Christian Anderson (not the Disney version) and adds upon it in a unique way. In so doing, the author links it to 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.

I have to say the beginning was a bit of a drag, but there is no way for the author to change that. In order to get to the tale, she had to retell the “Little Mermaid” story. For someone who knows the original tale it was a bit repetitive, which the author acknowledges in her introduction. But again, it’s necessary. Once the end of that tale comes, the story comes alive. I was lost in her narrative at the edge of my seat till the end. I enjoyed it immensely.

One gripe I had was how the author presents the antagonist. It was almost as if the narrator was trying really hard to tell me how bad, nasty, immoral, evil, and incapable of love he was, but I didn’t see it. Selfish, yes? Cruel, sure. But it wasn’t all that the narrator tried to tell me. Plus, the very events of the book tells me that the antagonist is capable of love. None of it would have happened if he couldn’t. But that was a minor gripe.

The writing style cleverly mimics classic books like 20,000 Leagues under the Sea with its long sentences and flowing, almost purple prose. It was a little hard to get into, but once I settled into the rhythm of the text I had no trouble. The writing style underscores the story—adding to the realism of a person in that time writing a letter.

CONCLUSION:

I recommend you all pick up this book. It’s $0.99 on amazon, though I picked it up for free on Facebook, and you can read it through in about an hour. I don’t like to give perfect scores, and this one had some issues, but I feel confident giving it a 4.8.

I don’t read as many books as I should, but I plan to change that in the upcoming weeks. Not all will end up with a review, but I just read this book and thought I would share. (This is also me putting off my writing for the day, but I digress).

Here’s my review of KM Carroll’s Fire and Ice-Cream.

Tianna Tokala is starting a new life in Carefree, Arizona, working in an ice cream parlor. She also has the magical ability to turn into a small dragon called a drake. All she wants is a quiet life where she can make ice cream with her wonderful ice breath.

But when her manager is found dead with a bowl of Tianna’s Rocky Road ice cream beside her, Tianna springs into action. With a knack for observation and her enhanced drake hearing, she delves into her manager’s smoky draconic past.

Aided by a secretive drake, a single mother, and a four-year-old dragon shifter, Tianna must unravel the web of lies that surround this dragonic death … or there may be more fire than ice cream.

A cozy mystery with dragons and ice-cream–who could want more?

I really liked this book. The writing was as smooth as (dare I say it?) freshly churned ice-cream, and the world-building was phenomenal! You can tell the author took the time to think about these characters and how the shape shifting mechanics worked. I could actually imagine a place in Arizona where dragons and drakes are flying around somewhere.

My one criticism is that the mystery seemed to take a back seat in the first half of the book. I found myself more interested in the characters and their backstories and not really caring much about the mystery. The stakes didn’t seem high enough–maybe this is normal for cozy mysteries, but it struck me as odd.

During the second half of the book, however, the action, stakes, and mystery ramp up! It all culminates to an exciting clash that wrapped things up satisfactorily.

Here’s hoping the author comes out with book 2 of the series soon. When it does drop, I aim to pick it up.

Turner Johnson’s relationship with the Lord isn’t the problem. It’s his fourteen-year-old grandson, David, who can’t seem to make peace with God and deal with the many issues in his life. But when he unwittingly humiliates the most powerful young man in the city, David suddenly finds himself trapped . . . and in need of a miracle.

Carolyn Cross is content with living an empty life until God calls Walker the Prophet to convict her.

The Bowman twins are on their way to great success, but often find themselves serving their careers instead of the Lord.

This is the first in a series of three action-packed novels about incredible technology, superhuman abilities, and the Lord’s power to do anything through anyone.

Review:

Union Cross: Sacrifices by Aaron Harris is the first book in a series. I spent about an hour reading this little book. It was a good hour.

Sacrifices introduces a world where people have supernatural abilities and technology is super advanced. The world dynamics, especially “the Box,” are so fascinating. For instance, there’s a school all about kids building technological devices. David’s ability is particularly unique. And then, there’s Walker who could appear out of nowhere and disappear just as fast. If you blink, you might miss him!

The book deals with topics of God’s love, redemption, revenge, and what it really means to be a Christian–both in action and in spirit. It was an interesting ride, though too short. I wanted to know more about the characters and their motivations.

M.R. Anglin

About Me

My name is M.R. Anglin. I am an author, aunt, sometime quilter, crafter, and crocheter, and occasional (reluctant) artist who wants to spread the love of God through her non-preachy fiction. Feel free to browse my site and contact me if you have any questions.